Indisposed
by Ollivanders Daughter
Summary: My seventh year of Hogwarts, my twelfth year of being diagnosed. Both Scorpius Malfoy and the press are determined to uncover my secret- it's just a question of who gets there first. Bloody brilliant.
1. Prologue

The pristine white walls of St Mungo's in 2011 were no different to the current ones of 2023 and hard-pressed Healers were running round in a similar fashion. I spotted the 5-year-old Rose Weasley and the corners of my mouth lifted. She had her head buried in a child's book in front of a 3-year-old Hugo, who was aimlessly following his older sibling and running alongside her, whilst a less-wrinkled Mum chastised her for not looking where she was going and Hugo for running. Dad of the past swooped my younger self into his arms making her laugh openly and Hugo jumped next to him, wanting a go as well. He let her down and picked up Hugo, as they gradually made their way to Room 201.

This must have been the hundreth time I had viewed the memory, yet elements always surprised me. Inside awaited a young Healer, around his 30s, who had a friendly smile but solemn eyes- Healer Cowley. Mum- always observant- frowned at his expression. "What did you find out?" queried Hermione nervously, biting her lip. On the hesitancy of the Healer, I noticed that Dad's expression began to falter from the laughter it had been showing a few moments previously. The young Rose expressed her curiosity by leaning forward and waiting expectantly for the Healer's answer. It was only little Hugo who remained oblivious to the tension in the room.

"I'm afraid it isn't good news. Normally, wizards have immunity to many Muggle diseases, including Huntington's which is why you, Ms. Granger, are free from the disease. The proteins in Rose's body, produced due to a mutation not uncommon in the magical community, have interacted with the Huntington's gene in her DNA. This interaction has caused the activation of a magical version of the gene, leading to a disease incredibly rare that I believe, on extensive research, only a few wizards in Britain have suffered from in the past century." The Healer paused, giving us time to take in the information. I watched as Mum gulped and gripped the young Rose's shoulder tightly. Dad's expression was more difficult to read; he had paled and his eyes looked vacant, almost like his body was in the room but he himself was not. "This explains the night seizures and mood swings, as well as the extreme magic she has been showing," continued the Healer. "The interaction is likely to cause her magical power to be much stronger yet more uncontrolled-"

"I'm not uncontrolled," interrupted the little Rose, offended. "I'm very well behaved."

The Healer let out a light chuckle. "I am well aware of your good behaviour and intelligence, Miss. Weasley," he replied, the response seeming to satisfy the young girl. "But you will have to be careful to keep yourself under control. This interaction seems to make the symptoms of Huntington's disease more severe- the reason why it is showing so young- and a big issue in Huntington's is loss of control, of the mind and body," he finished grimly.

"Well, that's okay. Mummy's always taught me about keeping calm when I had those mood swings and they got better- well, better than before. I like being in control of things and myself," responded Rose, confidently. I noticed Mum smile at her proudly, whilst Dad still seemed distant. Hugo was playing with his stuffed kneazle- the language must have been too difficult for him to know what was going on. Nonetheless, he shot concerned glances at his sister every so often.

"That's brilliant, Rose. Now would you mind being incredibly responsible and taking Hugo outside for a minute? I need to sort out some boring things with your parents, but you both can wait on the seats outside. I think I left Babbity Rabbit out there so you can read that until Mum and Dad come out," suggested the Healer. Rose jumped up at the chance of reading her favourite book and pulled Hugo along with her, leaving the room. I was pushed out of the room myself, confined to my own memories but Dad had told me when I was older that he had just given them more information about the symptoms and potential medicines to help with the symptoms. I watched as the me of the past read her book, Hugo's small body curled up against her as he fiddled with the ears of his toy.

I was snapped out of my reverie when a voice yelled out from above the roof of the waiting area. It reminded me a little of a God's voice coming out of the skies, but if it was from some form of a God, they weren't very eloquent. "Oi, Rose, you in there? Dinner's on the table and I ain't gonna wait for you, my stomach's growling like a bloody Welsh dragon!" I rolled my eyes at my brother's threat. Not that I cared if he ate without me, but Hugo wouldn't. A Hufflepuff through and through, he was indescribably loyal to those he was close to, including myself, and wouldn't want me to have to eat alone. I was pulled out of the pensieve as the memory reached its end and landed roughly on the floor of our house. Hugo heaved me up onto his back with no warning and began running to the dining room. "Hugo, let me down!" I screamed, well aware that I sounded not too different to a Banshee.

"Make me," smirked Hugo, as he jumped and ducked to avoid the various objects scattered around our house. He accidentally stepped on the end of our ancient cat, Crookshanks' tail, making her let out a low-pitched growl as she curled her tail in. "Sorry Crooky," he apologised as he continued running, me clinging onto his neck for dear life. The audacity of him! The cat gets an apology, but I don't.

It was like he had read my mind as he commented, "Yes, I do prefer the cat to you." I would have slapped him across the head but that would have involved my letting go of his neck and the most probable outcome of that would be an untimely death.

"My lifespan is already a third of the average life, are you trying to kill me even sooner?" I yelled, tightening my arms around him as he bounded down the corridor. I appreciated having Hugo to joke around with about my illness occasionally. Mum would have broken down if I had said that to her, but Hugo knew better. It wasn't that he cared less but making open jokes about it was almost like proving that we weren't frightened of it.

"Nah, come off it Rose, I'm not going to kill you… But I might get you close enough you see the shining light," laughed Hugo, as my head just missed the chandelier. I was about to open my mouth to shout at him once more, but Mum got there first.

"HUGO WEASLEY! Put your sister down this instant," she ordered and I smirked triumphantly as Hugo let me down. The boy didn't seem to care all that much though as the smell of Roast Dinner wafted into his nose and he eagerly sat down beside Mum at the table. I took the chair next to Dad, who let out a chuckle at our antics. I wasn't sure what it was, but I loved Dad's laugh. His eyes brightened and he looked ten years younger; it was guaranteed to brighten my own mood and quite often was incredibly contagious.

"Dad, this looks brilliant," I remarked, staring at the feast laid out before me in awe. Mum was a hopeless cook, but Dad was fantastic and on the last Sunday before school began he always cooked a full roast dinner. The desserts were undoubtedly my favourite though and my mouth watered on sight of them at the end of the table. "I bet that apple and almond pudding is impeccable."

"Only to match your impeccable character," he justified and I grinned at the compliment. He ruffled my hair and then on Hugo's impatient glares, we began to eat. The chicken was roasted to perfection, the potatoes was delightfully soft once you broke through the crispy exterior and the vegetables complimented the set. "So, any particular reason you were down in the pensieve today?" Dad knew the only time I ever went there was to view the memory of my diagnosis and this was his attempt to be subtle at asking me if I was okay.

"Oh, no particular reason, just thought I'd make the most of having the pensieve here before I left for school. I don't feel very comfortable using the Headmistress' regardless if she lets me," I answered, honestly. There was rarely a time I wasn't honest with them if I thought back, perhaps only about how much I was struggling. Sometimes it was better to give them a more positive outlook as to what was going on in my mind.

"Uncle Harry offered to take you tomorrow, but I declined," informed Mum. "After all, it is your last year." I smiled gratefully at her. It wasn't that I didn't get along with Uncle Harry, he was always kind and had a surprisingly sarcastic sense of humour. However, just like every other member of my extended family, he was unaware of my illness and naturally, that made me less comfortable around him. Why hadn't I told anyone? I'm not too sure. Primarily because I didn't want to be viewed as the 'ill' one at every family gathering held, but also because telling such a large family could easily lead to it leaking to the masses- a thought I dreaded. I was content with a roast potato on my fork, until my hand began to tremor and a clanging sound was made as my fork fell to my plate. My family didn't bat an eyelid, used to events such as this occurring, but I had to take a deep breath in.

You have control Rose, I thought to myself. Just force it to stop, it's your hand, you have the power to control it. I glared at my hand, as it continued to tremble, and my frustration was building. I was sick of my inability to do menial tasks- I had grown sick of it years ago. My annoyance had faded since the initial years of the tremors, but it was still present. I inhaled deeply, the oxygen flooding in me and calming me, albeit doing nothing for my tremors. I noticed Hugo leaning forward, prepared to help me if I required, but I shook my head in his direction. I refused to have help to do something as simple as eating food and he knew that well. At school, it would have been more difficult to handle a situation like this. It often ended with me not eating in the Great Hall, instead sneaking some food into a napkin or going on a trip to the kitchen when the tremors calmed down. But, I wasn't at school. I was at home, with my family, who unconditionally loved me. So I proceeded to do what any sensible human would do to eat food if their hands stopped functioning. I bent forward till my face was less than an inch from the gravy covered potatoes and grabbed one with my mouth, taking it in my mouth in one bite. I could feel the gravy dripping down my chin and had to let out a snort at my state. This led to Hugo sniggering into his chicken, Dad chuckling and soon, even Mum was openly laughing.

I'd miss this.


	2. 1st September

"Dad, how does your driving get worse the longer you drive? Aren't you meant to improve?" grumbled Hugo, looking pale after the less than comfortable drive to London Kings' Cross.

"I think the drive was perfect, Ron," countered Mum and accompanied that with a kiss on the cheek, making Dad blush bright red. I would probably find it cute that 21 years into marriage they were still so madly in love with each other if I wasn't their daughter. Nonetheless, they were my parents so I grimaced at their display of affection and Hugo mimicked throwing up.

"Take care of yourselves you two, don't get into too much trouble," chuckled Dad, directing the last sentence more towards Hugo than myself, who responded with an innocent looking smile. His pranks could be, well, interesting. He was lovely, but if you messed with someone he cared about you would not leave the year without having been publicly humiliated- it was a known fact. I still remember when Gregory Brown cheated on one of his closest friends, Azalea Longbottom, last year and Hugo decided the appropriate way to react would be to make his manhood a bright pink colour for 3 months. Brown tried everything to remove the colour, including going to the Hospital Wing, but Hugo's colour change was fool proof. I still suspect George Weasley worked on it with him; he was always fond of the Longbottom's youngest. Hugo got 2 months' worth of detentions because he point-black refused to give them any information about how to remove the colour, only saying it was harmless and temporary so they wouldn't suspend him. Let's just say that put many girls off Brown, even after the charm wore off. He hadn't forgiven Hugo since- not that Hugo cared.

"They shouldn't be getting into any trouble, I'm still surprised that you even became prefect Hugo and you'd better not lose it," scowled Mum. Hugo scoffed.

"Thanks for your kind words," he replied, sarcasm dripping from his words. Dad ruffled my hair, and I grinned at him.

"It's your last year, Rosie- enjoy it," advised Mum and I smiled back at her.

"Oh, so Rose gets a nice goodbye, it's just me who gets the cruel words. I'll just forever be the overlooked child," moaned Hugo melodramatically and I laughed at his acts. Mum rolled her eyes but pulled him into a tight hug regardless. "Mum, get off me," mumbled Hugo, noticing some fourth years looking over at us.

"Oh, I see how it is, you won't hug your mother because you're too cool for her," sniffed Mum. "You clearly don't need me anymore."

"No, Mum it's just-" began Hugo, hesitantly trying to comfort a quietly sobbing Mum, trying to avoid attracting attention as more people began to look towards us. Mum then stopped her sobs immediately and whacked Hugo on the back of the head with her hand. "Ouch!" exclaimed Hugo, rubbing the back of his forehand, disgruntled. "What was that for?"

"To show you what it's like having to deal with you being a drama queen," muttered Mum, head held up high. Dad let out a snort and Hugo shot him a glare for taking Mum's side.

"It's okay, Hugo, I'll take you away from these mean people," I comforted mockingly.

"Thanks Rosie, I knew I could always rely on you," sniffed Hugo, and I took him in my arms- slightly difficult considering he was half a foot taller than me- and we walked off, waving to our parents behind us. As we approached the train, I spotted Lily and Albus walking in the same direction. A quick glance behind showed me Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had approached my parents and they were deep in chatter. Lily and I shared a smile before Hugo struck up conversation with her. They were both immersed in updating each other on recent happenings, particularly some news about Azalea getting a new boyfriend which Hugo didn't seem too impressed with. I wouldn't normally mind them both ignoring me, if it wasn't for leaving Albus and me in an uncomfortable silence. He quickly strode past me, both of us avoiding eye contact.

Albus and I had an interesting history. We were friends growing up. I was a little distant because of my illness and him not knowing about it, but despite that we got along well. As I began to understand and tackle my illness more, I started to consider telling Albus. My family weren't going to be at Hogwarts and I needed someone who knew. Albus was reliable and caring, albeit a little hot-headed, and was going to be in my year- it made perfect sense. By the 1st of September, I had decided I was definitely going to tell him no matter how nervous I was. I walked down the train, looking in different carriages to try and find him. Would he hate me for not telling him before? Would he find me strange and not want to talk to me anymore? Questions streamed through my head before I eventually found him. I expected him to be alone but he was sitting chatting to a blonde-haired boy who my Dad had said was Scorpius Malfoy. Dad had told me to beat him in every test- I wasn't really sure why but I assumed he didn't like the boy much. I was slightly annoyed Albus wasn't alone to talk to, but I was sure if I asked he'd come out for a chat. I was wrong.

 _"Hi Albus, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" I asked politely, opening the carriage door._

 _"Sure, what's up?" he responded, barely paying attention and still engrossed in showing Scorpius his Chocolate Frog card collection._

 _"Can I talk to you alone?" I muttered, Scorpius looking at me with prying eyes._

 _"Well, no. I'm with Scorpius right now," he snapped. My mouth dropped open and Scorpius himself looked surprised at Albus' reaction._

 _"I just… it's something important," I said, quieter now._

 _"Couldn't you have told me last week at the family meet if it was so important?" asked Albus._

 _"I didn't know I was going to tell you this thing then," I snapped back, getting frustrated with his sass when I had spent so long trying to build up the courage to tell him about the illness._

 _"Well, I'm not just here at your mercy for you to tell me things when you please. I'm busy, tell me later," said Albus, dismissively. Scorpius was looking between us silently with wide eyes._

 _"Albus- it's important," I snarled. I understood he was with a new friend, but as my cousin he should have had the decency to come out if I said it was important._

 _"No," retorted Albus, simply._

 _"Albus, you can go, honestly-" began Scorpius, before he was interrupted by Albus._

 _"No, Scor. She needs to learn that she can't always demand to get what she wants when she feels like it. She doesn't have a clue what its like to have a hard life- not like you, Scor, who's had to deal with so much." I felt tears stinging up in my eyes. I didn't cry at much unless I was having an episode, but the fact he thought I was just a spoilt brat and had no idea what a hard life was like… The irony was cruel. I slammed the door shut as tears began to spill out of my eyes. I hated crying but I felt like my only hope of someone at Hogwarts understanding what I was going through had gone._

 _"Rose! You forgot your trolley," yelled Scorpius, down the corridor. "Are you okay?"_

 _"Just go to your new best friend, Malfoy, I'm clearly not worth his time anymore," I replied, trying to wipe away my tears so he couldn't see them. I quickly walked away, grabbing my trolley, before he had a chance to respond._

I was snapped out my flashback by a familiar and incredibly welcome voice. "Rose!" exclaimed Sonali, the closest friend I had ever had. After the argument with Albus 6 years ago, I had ran into the nearest carriage, occupied by one first year- Sonali Patil. I was sobbing, she asked me what had happened and I told her everything- from my diagnosis to my argument with Albus. We were both sorted into Ravenclaw and since then we had been inseparable. She had been there for me though every night seizure, every tremor attack or anger episode and was one of the few people I was comfortable depending on. I felt guilty sometimes of how much I burdened her, but she insisted I did as much for her as she did for me.

"Sona!" I grabbed her into a tight hug and we trundled down the train, searching for a carriage. "How have you been, love?"

"You saw me last week, man. Since then the most exciting thing thats happened is my mum gave the lead writer of one of her rival magazine's a product that made the lady's poop go green at this gathering she had," snorted Sonali.

"You could almost say the lady was… green with envy," I quipped. There was a moment of silence between the two of us as Sonali digested the pun.

"Never again," she said, staring me dead in the eye, before we continued scouring the train. I thought it was good.

"Bit hypocritical after your pun whilst we were watching the Quidditch the other day," I retorted. One of the players on the Pakistani Quidditch team (who were playing England) was called Afridi and Sonali yelled 'we aren't Afraid-i of you' at the screen. It still makes me crack up and I could feel the corners of my mouth turn up as I thought of the joke.

"You're thinking of the pun, aren't you?" smirked Sonali.

"Oh shut up," I muttered, still trying to hide my grin, before I noticed Hugo walking in the opposite direction to us with Azalea. "Where you going Hugh?"

"Prefect meeting," answered Hugo. "Come on, you're meant to be the responsible one!" Oh, bugger.

"Don't worry, I'll take your stuff and go to a different carriage, I think I saw Melinda in the next carriage along," assured Sonali, and I mouthed a thank you before dashing off to get to the Prefect's carriage in time. I slid in just before our scheduled meeting time and was surprised to see Scorpius slide in after me- he had never been a Prefect before.

Once I spotted Adam Wood and Halley Finnigan standing at the front, it clicked into place. Adam Wood was the previous Gryffindor prefect and as he was now Head Boy, Scorpius was his 7th year replacement. I already was aware Halley was Head Girl as I had replaced her as 7th year prefect for Ravenclaw. Headmistress McGonagall had asked me at the end of 4th year if I wanted to be Prefect, but I decided I'd rather spend my time pouring over books in the library or a cauldron in the dungeons whilst managing my illness. However, as I grew older so grew my control and this year I was pleasantly surprised to receive the badge.

I was glad Halley of all people got Head Girl. The whole year found me a little strange and avoided me, because as much as I tried to hide my symptoms it became very difficult at times. The few symptoms therefore that let slip to the rest of the year came across as me just being a weird character, hence I became more reserved and it led to people thinking I was even stranger. I could have a civil conversation with most, but my only actual 'friend' per say was Sonali. I shared my dorm with Sonali, Halley, Melinda Howard and Patricia Boot. Halley and Melinda were incredibly kind to me considering what the rest of the school thought of me, so I was very appreciative of them. We bonded over our mutual love of learning- so stereotypically Ravenclaw, I'm aware.

I scanned the room and gave a quick grin to Hugo and Azalea, Hugo shaking his head at my forgetfulness. At least I had an excuse, my brain was literally degrading. Other family members present were Dominique Weasley, acting as Gryffindor's 6th year prefect and Lucy Weasley, acting as Ravenclaw's 5th year prefect. I was always quite fond of Lucy as the only other member of my extended family in Ravenclaw. She was quiet, but incredibly intelligent and sweet. Dominique on the other hand was quite the character; her veela blood made her a force to be reckoned with, but we got along well enough.

"Alright, guys, I'm Adam and this is Halley, my beautiful co-star in this whole Head Boy and Girl thing," introduced Adam, making Halley go bright red. Oh, they were so going to get together, how cliché. Adam was your standard Gryffindor: chivalrous, charismatic with a dash of conceitedness. Halley was a typical Ravenclaw: intelligent, inquisitive with a hint of introvert. Put them both as Head Boy and Girl together and you have a fairytale story.

Excuse me whilst I upchuck at my own thought process.

"So we've already got the rota sorted out based on commitments people informed us of over the holidays. If anything has changed just let us know and we'll see what we can do! We decided to stick with the tradition of patrolling within houses and years," explained Halley. That wasn't too bad. Lysander Scamander was the other 7th year Ravenclaw prefect and apart from being a little nutty at times, he was good company. "It works out for now, but again, if there any problems let us know. So, here is a list of the Hogsmeade dates and other events planned…"

Halley's voice faded out as the room began to spin. My head felt like someone had binded a rope around it and now was pulling it tighter, compressing my skull. The pain and loss of control of my senses reminded me I had forgotten to take one my potions this morning. Luckily, I kept this potion in an empty bottle of pumpkin juice so I could take it in public. I tried scavenging in my bag for it, but my vision was going blurry and it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus with the banging feeling in my forehead. I knew if I didn't find the potion soon I was going to start attracting attention to myself and that would not be a good way to start the year. I suddenly noticed a hand holding my bottle and I quickly took it and drank a sip that amounted to the correct dose. My vision and hearing began coming back to me, but the throbbing feeling was still present- the potion didn't do much for that. I shoved my bottle in my bag and was ready to thank whoever had given me my bottle. Of course I couldn't thank them so much they got suspicious of just why I was so desperate for some pumpkin juice, but I still felt it was right to appreciate them considering the embarrassment they just saved me from.

"Are you okay?" asked the person who had given me the bottle. Those words from that particular voice took me back to that memory of my argument with Albus and I turned to see none other than Scorpius Malfoy. We had exchanged nothing more than the odd greeting since our first year, and that question was probably the longest phrase he had said to me. We had had no need to talk- not the same House, shared very few classes and avoiding Albus had the side effect of avoiding him because of all the time they spent together.

"Yes, thank you, just got a bit thirsty," I muttered, forcing a light chuckle. Scorpius didn't look convinced but turned away nonetheless and I spotted Hugo looking at me concerned. I gave him a glance to assure him I was fine, but he didn't look convinced either. Boys.

"So Rose, how was your holiday?" asked Lysander and I was glad he distracted me from the awkward situation that had just occurred.

"It was good thank you! What about your own holiday? Do anything fun?"

"Yeah, actually. I went on a trip to Egypt to go see the Sphinxes." Sphinxes had the head of a human but the body of a lion and were superbly intelligent beings. There were some domesticated versions that were used for public events, for example Uncle Harry said that there was a Sphinx in the Triwizard Tournament's maze challenge back in 1994, but I had always wanted to see one in it's native habitat. According to some Magizoologists, their riddles and demeanour was almost entirely different when in their home country of Egypt.

"That's incredible! Did you find any?"

"Yes, I did in fact. I also answered a riddle," boasted Lysander, rightfully so. Their riddles were complex and often had terrifying consequences if answered incorrectly.

"With bravery like that, you could be a Gryffindor," I laughed, winking. He upturned his nose at the thought. His twin brother Lorcan was a Gryffindor and they were very close, but completely different personalities and I can imagine Lysander wasn't impressed at the thought of being similar to him.

"No thanks, I'll stick with being in a house with a combined brain cell count of over 10," joked Lysander. I let out a loud snort at that, attracting Adam Wood's attention.

"Are you slating the good house of Godric Gryffindor?" remarked Adam, looking appalled. "Scor, my man, the nerds are slagging us off!"

"Oh, nerds are we?" asked Halley, cocking an eyebrow at her fellow Head Boy. He had the decency to look abashed being confronted by his 'beautiful co-star' so Scorpius decided he had to save his House from being slandered.

"Well, you do all speak like it's the 20th century," contributed Scorpius.

"Speaking in a proper grammatical sentence doesn't make you ancient," I retorted. "It simply means you are intellectual."

"We Gryffies have bravery you'll never have," replied Scorpius.

"We don't need it, because we're too intelligent to get in the stupid situations that you do," I defended.

"You calling us stupid, Weasley?"

"You can use the few brain cells you have to understand what I was implying."

"Well, I think Hufflepuff is the best house," declared Hugo, interrupting me and Scorpius. The carriage turned to look at him and anyone not in Hufflepuff (and potentially a few in Hufflepuff) burst out laughing. "Oh piss off," grumbled Hugo but he didn't seem too caught up about it when Azalea put her arms around his waist and gave him a comforting squeeze.

"Do the Slytherins not want to defend themselves?" smirked Adam.

"Our defence will be us inevitably winning the House Cup at the end of the year," responded a familiar voice. It was Louis Weasley- I must have missed him on my scanning of the carriage. A bit of a dark horse in the family, he was a Slytherin 5th year and was one of the slyest relatives I had. You wouldn't think him and Dominique were related, let alone brother and sister, what with Dom's outspoken nature and Louis' cunning.

The Slytherins cheered at Louis' comment, and Scorpius scowled. "The Cup will be ours."

"Not with how many points Gryffindors lose for being outspoken and pretentious," retorted Lucy. Scorpius looked slightly surprised at being sassed by quiet little Lucy and I gave her an approving grin, which she returned.

"The Quidditch Cup though will definitely be ours this year," insisted Azalea, as a chaser on the Hufflepuff team.

"Pfft, as if Albus will let that happen, we won it last year under his reign and we're going to win it again," said Scorpius.

"Now Sonali's captain of Ravenclaw I wouldn't be so sure of that, she's planning a whole team revamp," I threatened, knowing Sonali wouldn't take her position lightly. She was a keeper and leader of the highest calibre and she would take intense pleasure in beating Albus for the Cup. She was hoping for a Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw final, just so she could lift up the cup right in front of his eyes.

The heated house discussion was interrupted by Professor Longbottom entering the room. "Is everything okay in here?" he asked, looking around suspiciously. "It was getting quite loud."

"Everything's a-okay Prof," answered Adam, who was thoroughly enjoying the debate. "Just some light house rivalry." Light, sure Adam. Professor Longbottom didn't believe him either but left the carriage nonetheless. "Anyways, scatter you lot," ordered Adam. "Just keep an eye out for people causing trouble on the way, other than that, your duties start when the Sorting finishes." Everyone made their way out, aside from me, Scorpius, Adam and Halley. Halley was going to be joining Melinda who was with Sonali so I was waiting for her and I assumed Adam and Scorpius were going to join a carriage with Al and the other Gryffindor 7th years, so Scorpius was waiting for him. "I still think we should have made them all get tattoos," muttered Adam, directed at Halley. She shook her head and I looked at her inquisitively.

"Adam thought we should take a leaf out of the Death Eater's book," began Halley, and Adam looked like he was about to object before she continued. "He said we should all get tattoos and then when we touch them, their tattoo burns and everyone knows they have to come to a meeting. I said it was a stupid idea."

"That's brilliant!" exclaimed Scorpius.

"Yeah, brilliant to you maybe, it's a silly idea," I said, defending Halley.

"Ouch, Weasley. You 'Claws really hurt my feelings sometimes," sniffed Adam, and Halley rolled her eyes.

"Let's go, Rose," she laughed and I followed her out of the carriage accordingly. I couldn't shake the feeling though that a pair of eyes were staring straight at the back of my head as I left. Probably just the potion wearing off.

"This dessert is _devine_. I hope I don't get one of those stupid tremors now," I whispered to Sonali, putting as much food in my mouth as was possible. The children had been sorted with some eager looking Ravenclaws joining us, we had feasted on splendid mains and were now finishing off with the sweetest of desserts.

"You'll be fine, we can come back and eat dinner in the kitchens if anything does happen, promise," she assured comfortingly. I grinned at her, to which she mock turned her head around in disgust. I could imagine the half-chewed bits of chocolate cake visible were not a lovely sight, but oh well. Sonali loved me at my best and my worst, the latter of which she saw a lot of. "Oi, another question, why has Malfoy been glancing over this way throughout dinner?" I choked temporarily on my cake, before looking towards the Gryffindor table to indeed see Scorpius looking my way. Rather than moving his stare, he continued staring me dead in the eye, forcing me to look away.

"With his curiosity, he should have bloody been a 'Claw," I grumbled and then continued to explain for a confused Sonali. "I had a minor episode on the Prefect's carriage and he noticed me scrambling for my potion in my bag, so gave it to me. It was hidden as pumpkin juice," I added hastily on Sonali's worried glance.

"He gives me the creeps. It doesn't help every time I turn to look at him and make sure he's not watching us, I have to see Potter and that always puts a downer on my day," moaned Sonali. She really did not like Albus. Part of it was the argument with me in first year and another reason was the Quidditch rivalry. If it wasn't for Albus bashing Ravenclaw's seeker with a bludger, allowing the Gryffindor seeker to catch the snitch with minimal difficulty, Ravenclaw could have won last year. Sonali's keeping had been so pristine that she had only let three goals in over a lengthy match and that was definitely not because Gryffindor's chaser attack was lacking. Two more goals for Ravenclaw and they would have won, regardless of who caught the snitch. The match was probably a big reason why they put Sonali as Captain and not Patricia, Ravenclaw's seeker and our roommate. That, and Patricia was a horrible human being. The furthest thing from a team player there was, she rarely cooperated and was only kept on the team last year because of her impressive track record and lack of a better seeker.

"Eh, you can get the Ravenclaw team on track for victory and you'll enjoy seeing the look on his face then," I chuckled and Sonali smirked, a glint in her eyes at the sound of victory.

"You can bet we're going to absolutely destroy them, no matter what it takes," she responded, maliciously. I was almost concerned for Albus, but then I remembered he was a bellend of the highest order.

"Careful or you'll start sounding like a descendent of Salazar," I commented, and Sonali simply shrugged.

"It's Quidditch, it means too much to play nice. Even the Gryffindors don't and they're meant to be all noble- you saw Potter smash Boot off her broom, not that I haven't been tempted to do that in the past…" she muttered, trailing off at the end.

"Say something, Patil?" questioned the devil herself. She must have heard her name being mentioned from across the table; how couldn't she, being the narcissist she was.

"Nothing for you to worry about," replied Sonali, returning the glare Patricia was directing at her.

"If it's about that last match, I think you should be thankful- it's the only reason anyone would put you as Captain. I still think it's a stupid decision," sneered Patricia.

"Watch your tongue, jealousy doesn't look good on you, not that many things do," I retorted. She huffed and returned to discussing something most likely meaningless and pretentious with a few sixth years. I really loathed that girl.

"I fucking hate that bitch." Well, that's another way to phrase it, courtesy of Sonali and her eloquence.

"I hear you, sister," I affirmed.

"Shall we leave?" asked Sonali, as I licked my lips post my final cake bite. "You're lucky you never had to do the tragic job of taking the first years to the dorms and trying to explain the riddle-knocker concept." Fifth year prefects were responsible for escorting the first years and they were always a little frightened and puzzled by the idea of answering questions to gain access to your dorms, so asked millions of questions about it. The knocker was quite clever. It assessed your age so gave you age-appropriate questions, but you soon learnt its tricks. I guess it was similar to an exam, in the way that you definitely should know the content but you need to know how to word things and play the game to get the higher end of the marks.

"Let's go," I agreed, heavily amused by Hugo's struggle at the other end of the Hall to keep all his 1st years in check.

We made our way down the windy corridors and hazardous staircases, till we reached our tower. I answered the riddle, Sonali grumbling about how she still hadn't got the hang of them and never would, and we quickly trundled up the starts to reach our new dorm. The seventh year girls dorm was the highest in Ravenclaw tower, therefore having one of the best views and was also bestowed with the best bathroom, beds and furniture. It was something many a young Ravenclaw looked forward to, and it was ours. We opened the door hesitantly as the first ones to arrive and gasped. The carpet was a deep blue, similar to the common room, and there was a small French window leading onto a balcony with just enough room for one person. The curtains were a royal blue with patterns in golden thread, and the Ravenclaw emblem was embossed on the ceiling. The walls were a faultless white, lined with vintage, engraved wooden chests and wardrobes. We explored the bathroom, which albeit much smaller, had the same aura as the Prefects bathroom I had visited on the way to the Great Hall earlier. A gorgeous white bathtub, with two shower cubicles, 3 toilet cubicles and 4 sinks with mirrors attached to each. Naturally, we took beds next to each other, myself taking the one closest to the bathroom so I wasn't adjacent to any other beds aside from Sonali's.

We were joined soon by Halley and Melinda, with Patricia only coming in to sleep. The rest of us unpacked and chattered regarding the events of Summer, till we began drifting off to sleep. I quickly muttered the 'muffliato' charm so if I did have an episode I wouldn't risk waking the others and got away with performing the charm by using the excuse that I was a terrible snorer. As I wrapped myself in the soft cotton sheets, I felt perfectly at ease. My mind was clear, my body was comfortable and it was time for a peaceful night. This year was going to be the best and most successful one yet, I was going to make sure of it.


	3. Potions and Sunsets

"Professor! Professor Limpet," I yelled down the corridor, attracting the attention of students around me. The middle-aged potions professor whipped around, her face brightening upon spotting me. Of Ukranian descent, her hair was ash-blond and eyes grey, yet filled with life. She peered through her spectacles to ensure it was in fact me, stopping to allow me to catch up with her so we could walk together to the dungeons.

"How are you, Rose dear?" she asked. "Did you enjoy your Summer?"

"I did, thank you, did you, Professor?" Professor Limpet was the most brilliant Professor I had ever had the pleasure of being taught by. Her skill was undoubtable and although many doubted her sanity, I knew she simply showed the traits of being a genius. A Ravenclaw at heart, she tried to enthuse her students about the subject she loved so much and it had worked on me. I was already fascinated with potions from a young age due to my interest in their ability to cure me of some of my symptoms, yet she encouraged this enthusiasm to the point where Potions was easily my favourite subject. I did enjoy Charms too, but there was something about leaning over a bubbling cauldron that could not be replicated by simple wand work.

"It was alright, I did miss my potions supply though. The dungeons are ideal for potion brewing and I don't have many ingredients in my home," she explained. I never understood how Professor was so short of money as I never assumed Headmistress McGonagall to be one to underpay her staff. Nonetheless, I stayed quiet as it was far from my business. "How have you been coping with your symptoms?"

"The potions have been helping, but I can feel the symptoms gaining strength," I admitted. Professor Limpet was the only Professor other than the Headmistress who was aware of my condition. She had often spent hours making my healing potions and teaching me how to brew them so I wouldn't have to buy them from St. Mungo's. It was because of her that I could now brew many of my own healing potions.

Since my disease was so rare, few treatments were specific to my symptoms so she would often help me adjust my potions so they managed my symptoms better. We had to be careful to keep the potions safe, but Professor Limpet was incredibly gifted and seemed to know the consequences of adding any component to any potion. "I did have a question for you though. You know how they currently use a concentrated Draught of Peace to treat my anxiety attacks? Well, it's not so much anxiety as an internal feeling of fear and… darkness almost. So, follow my logic, there's that potion which causes you to just see black, oh- what is it called? Shadow elixir, that's it! And I was researching- correct me if I'm wrong- but it works by blackening your mind almost, as opposed to your sight, and that is kind of similar as to what happens to me. I then followed up by looking at antidotes and they say powdered Bicorn horn mixed with crushed asphodel in a 1 to 2 ratio is usually quite successful in clearing the mind of the black. So would adding that to my current Draught of Peace, obviously with some adjustment, potentially improve the potion?"

"Your thinking is wise and it's a wonderful idea," complimented the Professor, causing me to blush at her praise. "The only issue I can spot is the Bicorn horn may potentially interact with the moonstone in the Draught instead of the asphodel, putting you into a permanent slumber." The _only_ issue, what an understatement. Professor Limpet noticed my disappointment and she smiled encouragingly. "Do not fret, Rose, Bicorn horn can easily be substituted by Chichevache horn. From my knowledge, I believe Chichevache horn should interact with the asphodel but not with the moonstone as long as it is crushed very fine. Why don't we find out? You are welcome to stay behind after this lesson, I believe it is your last for the day?" I nodded eagerly, incredibly excited at the prospect of improving my fear attacks. They were one of my most dreadful symptoms and my current potion did not defend me against the root of the attack, instead masking it and leaving me with sporadic black flashes and a long-lasting state of discomfort.

We entered the classroom and I inhaled deeply, the aura of the Dungeons putting me at ease. Not that I'd ever want to be a Slytherin, but it would nice if our common room was in this section of the castle. I stood at the door and admired the familiar sight of pickled animals in glass jars and the gargoyle sink. Low-hanging candles lit the room in a minimalistic fashion. Most people found it haunting, yet it was quite beautiful to me, providing a stark contrast to the bright and elevated Ravenclaw tower. It was undoubtedly cold in temperature but wrapped in my woollen jumper I had no qualms. Students began to walk in past me as I stared at the room oblivious. It was effectively a new class, as many had dropped Potions for their seventh year, resulting in them merging the two sixth year classes into one. I wasn't too bothered about who would be joining us. All I knew was Sonali dropped Potions so she wouldn't be joining me and I wasn't concerned about anyone else.

I snapped out of my daydream and walked towards my usual table at the front of the classroom. I had sat there with Sonali last year, despite her annoyance that she was hence forced to focus in Potions, a subject she had little admiration for. I assumed I'd be sitting there alone as not many sat on the front table- particularly because not many held much respect for Professor Limpet's words. I was wrong. I spotted a mop of blonde hair sat in Sonali's chair and cocked my eyebrow at the boy as I sat down.

"You're not the only one who's interested in what Professor says, you know," Scorpius muttered, answering my unsaid question. I shrugged and began pulling out my textbook and parchment. Naturally, I had read the textbook for this year over summer and had already begun to scribble all over the pages with potential ideas to improve or change the effects of different potions. Class was the perfect place to test them out and see whether any of the theoretical changes actually worked in practice. They were like my own little experiments.

"How splendid, I was hoping you'd stay at the front, Scorpius. Now I have my two finest students sitting together," Professor Limpet remarked, quietly so not to be overheard. In theory teachers weren't allowed to have favourites, but how could she not? I was a delight. But, Scorpius? In all fairness, I hadn't shared a class with him last year and nor was I aware of his OWL grades, however, he had never come across as incredibly academically gifted.

"Potions is my thing," explained Scorpius, as if he could read my mind. I'd assume he was a Legilimens if I hadn't learnt the art of Occlumency in the Summer after 5th year. What? I was bored. I had to admit, I was quite jealous to now be sharing Professor Limpet's attention and that too with a Gryffindor, but I decided to take the mature path and let it slide.

The lesson had gone quite quickly. Fortunately, today we were working on potions alone. I paid little attention to Scorpius, especially since the potion we were working on was one I wanted to experiment with. It was a Volubilis Potion, to alter a person's voice. Usually it made a person's voice change randomly, however after pouring over many books, I hoped that if I added a specific amount of Boomslang Skin and some crushed lacewing flies (both vital components of the Polyjuice potion), the potion generated could change the recipients voice to the person's whose hair I ended up adding to the potion. I quickly kept some in a vial and vanished the rest, not wanting to try it here in case it had a horrible side effect. Many of the class were leaving, amused at their voices having drunk some of their potions.

"Ah, Rose, I see you've already cleared your cauldron. We'll work in that, would you like to pour some Draught of Peace into it? I'll bring the powdered Chichevache horn," she suggested and I set to work, lighting the fire and grabbing some asphodel from the storage cupboard. We wanted to trial a small amount first, so it didn't take long to crush a small amount of asphodel and add an appropriate amount along with the already powdered Chichevache horn. "No change," she begrudgingly admitted and I sighed, scribbling the results (or lack of) into a small book I had specifically for my healing potion-related experiments. "Scorpius, would you come here for a second?" she asked. Scorpius, who had taken his time clearing away and was only now leaving the room quickly turned back around at the request of the Professor.

"Of course, what's the matter, Professor?" he asked, looking curiously down at the potion we were brewing. "Is that a Draught of Peace?"

"It is indeed, Mr. Malfoy. We're trying to improve the potion," she explained.

"But it's quite effective as far as I'm aware? People take them successfully, before examinations and stuff," he said, confused. Bugger. How were we going to get out of this? What other disease could possibly have had that same feeling of blackness overcoming your mind whilst suffering from a fear attack?

"Sufferers of extreme cases of cat flu tend to feel blackness overpowering their mind whilst they have an attack of extreme anxiety. We're trying to improve the potion for those particular sufferers," Professor Limpet replied. Of course, cat flu. Merlin bless Professor Limpet.

"The last epidemic of cat flu was in 1996, barely anyone suffers from it now," he commented.

"There is never a disease too rare to deserve high quality treatment," retorted Professor Limpet. I smiled warmly at her and Scorpius looked at us strangely, before shrugging his shoulders in acceptance. "Explain your logic, Rose," asked Professor Limpet and I went about saying a similar thing to what I had told Professor Limpet earlier in the corridor, except without mentioning I suffered from the attacks myself.

"So you ended up adding Chichevache horn?" he asked and I nodded in agreement. "Well, it's possible that the moonstone is not only not interacting with the Chichevache horn, but it's also muted the horn's effect, meaning it won't interact with the asphodel now either. Hey, I have an idea. Asphodel doesn't dissolve in this Draught does it?" Professor Limpet shook her head. "Well, instead of crushing the Asphodel, why don't you use it in its intact form? You could wrap the powdered Bicorn horn in the flower, seal it magically and then put the the result into the Draught. That way the Bicorn horn could only interact with the asphodel and not with anything else in the Draught." I was impressed. "Pretty impressive, ey?" smirked Scorpius, leaning over to me when Professor Limpet went to get some more asphodel. I stuck my nose up- partially in disapproval and partially because of the smell of his cologne. I was no longer impressed.

"Isn't there a chance it won't have any or a weaker interaction if the asphodel isn't crushed?" I queried.

"Well, let's find out," grinned Scorpius, a glint present in his eyes, which I could only guess was at the excitement of experimenting. As we folded flowers, I glanced his way, intrigued by the boy beside me. From afar he seemed like your standard Gryffindor; well-liked, flirtatious and a cocky demeanour. Yet, there was something different about him here. He still had a hint of playfulness about him, but he was focused, driven and _intelligent_. Scorpius and I worked on the potion together, Professor Limpet deciding to research more to ensure the side effects wouldn't be disastrous with this new addition. We worked in silence but it was a pleasant aura as opposed to an awkward one. We made an efficient team, Scorpius sprinkling in the powdered Bicorn horn and myself sealing them up with a charm. It wasn't too long before we got to the point where we had 5 little bundles and Professor Limpet carefully levitated them into the cauldron. The cauldron let out a small puff of smoke and then went from it's usual deep purple to a bright shade of pink, a positive sign.

Professor Limpet brought a rat from a cage she kept in the storage cupboard. She had researched our changes thoroughly enough to be mostly sure that it wouldn't have any harmful effects, so it wasn't particularly unethical to test it on the rat. She gave the rat a small dose of what we had prepared and the atmosphere was tense as we waited for the rat to exhibit any signs of distress. The rat was initially stationary, but after 30 seconds it acted just as it had before, perhaps with a slightly more noticeable spring in it's walk. I let out a sigh of relief and Scorpius stared proudly at the cauldron. I was aware that if he knew it was all just for me, he probably wouldn't have been so willing and excited to help. Why would anyone go to this much effort all for one person? Especially, if said person was your best friend's most hated cousin.

I hadn't really thought about the fact Scorpius and Albus were so close. That only gave me more evidence that my hypothesis was correct. Scorpius was only helping because Professor Limpet had asked, or he thought he was helping society, not for me. The thought saddened me, but I put it to the back of my mind as the Professor handed me a large vial of the potion.

"Hopefully, it'll be as effective as it is safe," she commented and I nodded in agreement.

"How are you going to test it? Is it going to go to St. Mungo's and they'll do trials?" asked Scorpius. That boy was full of awkward questions.

"No, those'll take far too long. Rose is going to send it to a friend of mine suffering from the flu," lied Professor Limpet. She was a brilliant liar. I wouldn't doubt that she could have been a Slytherin if it wasn't for her selflessness.

"Oh, okay. Would you like me to take it? I have to pass by the Owlery anyways," said Scorpius.

"No," I snapped far too quickly, clutching the vials to my chest. _This_ is why people think you're deluded, Rose. "I just mean," I began, trying to compose myself, "I'll do it. I have her address and things, you don't need to worry."

"Okay, if you say so," shrugged Scorpius. "It was fun working with you, Professor. You too, Weasley."

He began exiting the room, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you for helping me," I blurted out, just as he stepped through the door. He turned around and I thought I saw a genuine smile on his face before it quickly turned to a smirk.

"No problem, Weasley," he replied and flashed me a wink before walking out the room. I stood there dumbfounded, mouth agape and I heard a chuckle from behind me. I whipped around to spot Professor Limpet who was _laughing_.

"He's an interesting one, isn't he?" she remarked, and I sniffed whilst packing away my things.

"You could say that," I grumbled. Scorpius Malfoy had to indeed be one of the most _interesting_ people I had ever met.

Sonali and I had taken residence on a large couch in the common room, with a stunning view of the black lake. There was a pleasant breeze coming in from the slightly ajar window as I completed the Charms essay I had received that day. For the last 6 years I had forced Sonali to join me with my ritual of completing any homework I received the very day I got it, unless it was a larger project. Even in 7th year, she still hadn't grown to the concept and was intensely watching two beetles fight with each other for a tiny leaf on the table.

"Where did you even find the beetles?" I questioned, curious as to why she would have some in the first place.

"I had Care of Magical Creatures last and we were learning about competition. In theory, I'm revising," she defended. Even though I knew what she was doing was unlikely to improve her NEWT grade, I let it pass. After all, it was only the first day back (even though I would never take up that attitude myself). If there was something which Sonali truly did enjoy, aside from Quidditch, it would have to be Care of Magical Creatures. She often went down to Hagrid's hut for tea and to learn something new about some creature I wasn't even aware existed. Personally, I wasn't a giant fan of the subject. My NEWT subjects were fairly standard: Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and Arithmancy. I dropped Defence Against the Dark Arts at the end of last year, deciding it held little relevance for what I wanted to achieve. About six people in the year took four subjects in seventh year, the remainder taking three.

"Let's go outside," I suggested, after finishing off the last line of my essay. My homework was complete and the sun was about to set over the grounds, a sight much more magical when one was actually outdoors. Sonali quickly agreed, pocketing the beetles much to my distaste. How anyone didn't have a revulsion towards bugs was beyond me.

We arrived at the grounds without much hassle. Majority of the students had retreated to their common rooms so few were roaming the corridors. However, a number of students had a similar thought to us and were enjoying the surprisingly pleasant weather, so it was fairly crowded near the lake. We sat down nonetheless and I pulled out a book I had bought over summer. The book was based upon a Squib of my age who attended a Muggle boarding school, trying to maintain her magical roots whilst she attempted to integrate herself into the non-magical world. It was set during the time of Voldemort's second rise though, which complicated things. I was only a quarter of the way through, so wasn't too sure of what the climax was going to involve but it had held my attention so far. I glanced briefly to see what Sonali was doing, but she had involved herself in a conversation with a sixth year, Gale McLaggen, who had played chaser on the Ravenclaw team since his third year. He was incredibly talented, though when I mentioned this to Dad once, he went bright red and was in a foul mood for the remainder of that day. The reason was still unbeknownst to me. Their conversation was surrounding the upcoming Quidditch trials and albeit I was interested, I knew I'd hear enough about it from Sonali so blocked them out and focused on my book.

 _Sarah's stomach turned upon reading that the Millenium Bridge had collapsed. The Brockdale Bridge had also gone down, killing hundreds of people. The public was distraught and confused but Sarah was perfectly aware of the cause behind the bridge falling. Her mother had confirmed her theory not long after it came out in the Guardian, sending her a message stating Fenrir Greyback and a group of Death Eaters were responsible. How long could she wait here, hiding in the Muggle world? What use would she be if she did return to the magical world to help? Never had she felt so isolated and useless as she felt at that moment. Where was Anna? At this point I was incredibly thankful that I had told Anna about me being a Squib- she would understand. I noticed a post-it note stuck to her bedpost and went closer to read it._

 ** _My dad was on the bridge,_** _it read. I gulped as my mind began spinning. My best friend's father was dead. Someone who wasn't even aware that Voldemort existed was dead because of the magical world. I was angry, hurt and most of all, scared. How would I help her through this? She had always been there for me, but what could I say to make it better? Nothing could make something like this better._

Okay, well that turned depressing very quickly. I shut the book deciding it was far too intense for the moment and pulled out a Potions paper instead. It was a research article about a potential cure for Spattergroit, which so far only had a few drugs to improve symptoms and otherwise involved keeping the patient in isolation until the virus left their system. This could take anywhere from a month to a year, so it would be quite ground-breaking if they could concoct a potion to heal it. I read the abstract thoroughly before skimming the rest of the article and used my wand to highlight certain sentences of interest. I always tried to keep up with the latest advancements in healing, not just because of my general curiosity, but because many of them had given me ideas for treating my own symptoms or adapting my current potions. Considering research was a branch I was seriously considering going into, particularly regarding healing potions, it seemed an appropriate use of my time. _Time_. Something I had reasonably less of than the average person. Knowing my brain was going to degrade motivated me to learn as much as I could in the time I had. I simply had to make my mark in academic society much sooner than most people, which meant I had to stay one step ahead of everyone else my age.

Magical research was mostly similar to Muggle research I had discovered. A similar lengthy process to find one thing about our bodies and then have it peer reviewed before it was published into a paper. Magical research, however, was much slower as the magical community itself was smaller. It occasionally used elements of Muggle discoveries but they usually had to be adapted due to the drastic differences in magical and non-magical blood and bodies. Wizard researchers regularly found some new protein that potentially contributed to our magical abilities, but there was no simple explanation. Ironically, a lot of it was due to pathways in the brain rather than the blood, an organ which both the Muggle and wizarding communities had minimal understanding of due to its complexity. Probably the biggest thing that had come out of investigating the cause behind magical powers was disproving the theory that pure-blood wizards were more powerful than those with Muggle blood in them after Voldemort's fall. Many studies were published showing that there was no correlation between how pure your magical ancestry was and your strength as a wizard/witch.

"Rose, what do you think about Patricia? Should we keep her on?" asked Sonali as I peered at her from above my paper.

"Depends on if you find any new talent," I muttered. "Though I'd love to see her gone."

"As would I. But Weasley's right, Sonny, it all depends on if anyone's been hiding their seeking ability and only now decides to try out," reasoned Gale.

"There could be a damn good second year," suggested Sonali, hope in her voice.

"You know that no second year is going to be good enough for the spot. At least not good enough to justify kicking off Patricia," sighed Gale.

"Hey, you never know. Uncle Harry was an incredible seeker, even in his first year," I argued.

"Your 'Uncle Harry' also saved the god damn Wizarding universe," retorted Gale. That was fair play so I appropriately became quiet. Sonali sighed, burying her head in her hands.

"I just don't know if I can deal with her this year. She's terrible at following team strategy and she'll be even more selfish this year because Scouts will be watching. What if, in a hypothetical scenario, we're in the final and the opposing team pulls up 150 points against us? There's no way she'd wait for us to catch up before catching the snitch- she has her own agenda."

"Not that I'm doubting her selfishness, but that wouldn't happen. Firstly, no chaser attack could put 15 goals through your hoops; the best of Hogwarts could barely get 3 in. Secondly, _our_ chaser attack won't let that happen, no matter who fills the gap Vane left." Harley Vane was a chaser on the team last year but it was his seventh year so he had left now. "Finally, no league team would want someone who was more concerned about their own victory than the team's."

Sonali smiled warmly at him, before letting out a laugh. "You know you don't have to address my worries in that much detail. I'll be ranting a lot more to you throughout the year," warned Sonali, winking.

"Nah, your worries are valid. Plus, you're my captain, can't have you breaking down over Boot," he chuckled, and I could feel I was definitely a third-wheel in this situation. I never pictured Sonali going for someone younger, particularly since she had always had an interest in older guys, but her and Gale did get along very well and for a sixth year, he was very attractive. I grinned at my own thoughts- looking at them both together, they would make a cute couple.


	4. Quidditch Trials and Amortentia Vials

Classes were in full swing by this point, teachers keen to get through the content speedily so plenty of revision time was available towards the end of the year. Now people had settled into the school year, Quidditch trials had begun. All the teams had at least lost one of their players and regardless of that, they were required to hold trials for all the positions in case new talent came through. It was rare a player had been replaced whilst still in the school but it had happened. Quidditch trials brought out the Sonali I loved but simultaneously hated: a Sonali full of fire, passion and stress.

"Rose, I can't believe I'm doing this. Boot should be captain. I can't captain a team! I can barely captain _myself_ ," panicked Sonali. She had been rattling off reasons behind her incompetence for the last hour or so and I had tried and failed to pacify her. We were waiting for last year's team and hopefuls to arrive at the Quidditch pitch for Ravenclaw's trials. She was hovering beside me on her broom whilst I sat in the stands. I didn't play Quidditch- that's a story for another time- but Sonali asked me to visit the Ravenclaw practices this year to provide an extra eye, particularly times when Sonali would be occupied and less able to judge her players. It was an offer I could not refuse, particularly since it meant putting all the Quidditch knowledge Sonali had bestowed me with to use.

"You'll be fine, I promise. Though, next time you say something as silly as you not deserving the captaincy, let alone Boot having it, we're no longer friends," I added and she rolled her eyes at my threat. "See, McLaggen's on his way and I'm pretty sure I can see Barnes behind him!" Davey Barnes played alongside Gale as chaser and at the age of fourteen was one of Ravenclaw's younger talents.

"Speak of the devil," began Gale, as he flew up to us. "Dave and I were just discussing how brilliant a Captain you're going to be." Sonali blushed on cue and now it was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Thanks," she replied, seeming a little more motivated.

"I try convincing her for an hour to no success, but as soon as you say a sentence, she suddenly has all the confidence in the world," I mock-complained, but the smile on my face was visible so McLaggen just laughed.

"Hey-up, team," greeted Cecilia, joining the group with her twin sister Petunia. Most would agree there were some pretty horrendous names in our school. There were the Scamander twins, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, Albus Severus Potter and the list goes on. Yet the ones who were unanimously considered to have been most unlucky were in the year below us, the two Hackett twins- Cecilia Adrianus and Petunia Methalus. Non-identical in looks but inseparable, they were two of the most popular in their year, despite their nomenclature. They also played as beaters for the team and were incredible together. Individually, they were talented players but when they played with each other their synchronisation was unbelievable and fascinating to watch. It was vital for a beater to be in touch with their partner and those two were a pair like no other. Cecilia tended to speak for the pair but Petunia was hardly overshadowed.

"Where's Boot?" queried Petunia. Other Ravenclaws had began trailing in with their brooms, hopeful to make the team. I assumed most of them would be trying out for Chaser, in an attempt to fill the empty spot, but there could always be the odd candidate trying for a different position. The only position that could not be replaced was that of Keeper as it was held by the Captain.

"Who knows, probably fixing her hair," grumbled Sonali. "Oh well, I'll start talking, not as if we need the seeker for this part." She then gave me a quick nod before flying off towards the ground along with her teammates. She muttered a quick _Sonorous_ charm at her throat before bellowing across the pitch. "Alright newbies, listen up, we're here mainly to look for a new Chaser to replace Harley who left last year, but you're free to try out for any position, just be aware that it's unlikely you'll replace a current member of the team unless you're exceptional. We need good flyers, good catchers and all the usual but we also need street-smart players. Ravenclaw thrives off excellent strategy, smart playing and a brilliant team spirit. You are not playing alone- you are part of a group, and I will want to see you demonstrating this today. We're going to start by assessing your flying and taking forward individuals to the next stages if they meet the criteria. Good luck, any questions?" I beamed proudly at my best friend as she finished her speech. She seemed so casual but I knew she had been worrying about addressing the fair number of Ravenclaws. A tiny girl, who I assume could only be a second year, raised her hand to Sonali's distaste. "Yes?"

"What's _she_ doing here? She's not part of the time or trying out," asked the girl, pointing towards me. Suddenly the whole pitch turned to face me and I turned red, wanting very much to curl up into a ball under the stands.

" _She_ has a name and Rose is here to watch from afar so that she can judge your playing from an angle I cannot whilst all our team is occupied. Understood?" growled Sonali. That girl was far too protective of me for her own good. The girl nodded meekly, before Sonali jerked her head and they all began to fly around the pitch. I was engrossed in watching the fliers and scribbled down the numbers who I thought should progress forward. Last years team also had to fly and they naturally outshone the others, but there were some very good fliers in the mix. After a few laps, Sonali brought them down and joined me near the stands. She flashed me the numbers she had written down and we agreed almost entirely apart from I had also written down number 17, a dark-haired girl who wasn't necessarily the fastest on her broom but was sharp around corners and could easily fly one handed. "I see where you're coming from, actually, definitely should add her," agreed Sonali. "You can just watch casually if you want now- I'll be able to manage the chasers," she suggested, before flying back towards the candidates. As keeper she was in prime position to judge a chaser attack so I wasn't particularly needed. "Alright, is anyone here going up for something other than chaser?"

A boy with murky-brown hair raised his hand. Short and thin, he seemed the perfect build for a… "Seeker," he stated. His words were followed by a few gasps. Sonali's eyes widened, as did the rest of the team's, but you could tell it was with excitement as opposed to horror. Patricia was shooting a death glare towards the boy, but Sonali ignored this and grinned at him.

"Tried out before?"

"No, Cap'n. I'm a third year- Ben Humphrey- and thought I'd wait till the position was vacant, but decided the experience was still worth it, especially since this would be the last year to get advice from yourself."

"No need to suck up," responded Sonali, but I could tell she appreciated it. "Fairest way to do it is a Snitch catch. I'll release it- whoever catches it first gets the spot. Till then I will continue conducting trials for chaser." I couldn't tell whether Patricia was more annoyed at the boy or Sonali, but she hopped on her broom regardless and hovered near the ground. The boy followed suit and Sonali opened the chest of balls. She let the snitch fly and began counting them down. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Go!" Both players shot into the air and were scavenging the pitch for a hint of gold. For the first minute, the ground was absorbed in watching them but then when people realised it wasn't going to be a quick catch, their attention returned to Sonali. She set them up into teams of 3 of varying age and ability, and got Davey to be a keeper on the other end. Gale was assigned with assessing the chasing from an outside perspective, whilst also keeping an eye on the snitch catch, and the Hackett twins were to do their job and try and put off as many players as possible using the bludgers.

There was so much occurring on the pitch, I didn't know where to look. The chaser trios kept switching so Sonali could gain a good idea of the ability of all the different players, and she started to call back some teams more and more and others less. It was fascinating seeing the gifted play aside the hopeless and which roles the players took on in their trio. Sonali was looking for those who could not only shoot, but assist if required and knew when it was their turn to step back. There was the odd show off who Sonali easily dismissed; the last thing the team needed was another Patricia. The snitch catch was running for a lengthy period. There had been a few sightings of the snitch, but it had been just out of grasp for both players. I saw Patricia try to fake a sighting but Ben was wise to it and did not take the bait. The quality of Quidditch was rising as lower standard trios were excluded and I was watching avidly to guess who would replace the infamous Harley Vane in the official team. Sonali's plan was to rule it out to three players, who would each have to play alongside Gale and Davey to see who functioned best as part of the unit.

"Who's gonna fill the gap do you think?" asked a voice in my ear, startling me. I nearly catastrophically fell off the stands, but the person next to me grabbed my hand just in time. I shuffled myself so I was firm footed before letting go and turning to scowl at the perpetrator. "Sorry, did I surprise you?" smirked Scorpius, clearly not apologetic in the slightest. I narrowed my eyes at him. He was hovering on his broom, one hand holding on and the other ruffling his hair.

"What are you even doing here?" I queried.

"Spying," deadpanned Scorpius, and I cocked an eyebrow at him. If Albus had indeed sent Scorpius to spy then I would have to let Sonali know and she would be far from impressed. "Nah, I actually came to find you."

"Why?"

"Potion problems," explained Scorpius.

"That's unlikely, I'm sure a favourite of Professor Limpet has no issues," I grumbled, still slightly bitter about her liking of him.

"Aw, is someone a little jealous?" cooed Scorpius, causing me to roll my eyes despite knowing it was partially true. "Seriously, though, I want some advice."

"Regarding?"

"Potions."

"I guessed as much."

"I've kind of forgotten the question I was going to ask," admitted Scorpius and I shook my head at his daftness.

"Well, your trip was thoroughly useless then," I sighed.

"I wouldn't say it was entirely useless," muttered Scorpius and I could feel myself blush slightly. What did that mean? Was he implying seeing me was worth it? "I managed to spite you and see what the 'Claws were up to." Nope, he was just a moronic twat.

"Just sod off, Malfoy," I stated, resuming my watching of the match. The snitch was still uncaught but Sonali had narrowed it down to three players, one of whom was the dark-haired girl I had suggested earlier.

"Fine, I shall be off," he replied, turning his broom towards the castle and flying off. "Oi, Weasley," he bellowed down the stands, flying backwards (a stupidly dangerous thing to do). "I remembered my question. What species is the egg you add to an Amortentia potion?"

"Ashwinder," I answered immediately. Amortentia was a sixth year potion though, what on earth did he need to know that for? Professor Limpet hadn't mentioned it in class either. "Scorpius? Scorpius! What do you need to know that for? Are you brewing Amortentia?! You know that's not allowed!"

The absolute _bellend_ he is, he simply responded with a wink and flew down to the castle. One day, I was going to seal his eyes shut and watch him try to wink then.

My attention was diverted from Scorpius' antics when I spotted both Patricia and Ben diving for a golden glint near the ground. It was stationary and both were speeding along, practically vertical for maximum speed. Ben was just pulling forward when Patricia cut across him in a sudden boost of speed and snatched the snitch before Ben could grasp it. Patricia hopped off her broom with a smug smirk and chucked the snitch back in the box. Sonali paused the chaser trials to fly down and greet Ben. I could tell she was slightly disappointed Patricia won, but it was to be expected and Ben seemed to be aware of that.

"It's alright, I predicted I wouldn't get on this year. It was still fun to be part of a proper Snitch catch though," he grinned and Sonali smiled at his enthusiasm.

"If you ever want any advice or just want to come play a practice match with us you're welcome to. You're a damn good player," encouraged Sonali and Ben was positively beaming at the offer.

"That sounds amazing, thank you so much! I hope you find a great chaser and dominate the matches this year," replied Ben, before shaking Sonali's hand and flying back to the castle. Sonali quickly resumed trials and they were on the third and final candidate for the position. It was number 17, who I was now rooting for. She had sharp defined features and a thin but toned build. With a hint of darkness and mystery, she seemed like an interesting character and someone who would be a useful asset for the team. It all depended on how she played with Gale and Davey.

The three of them were huddled to strategise, as had been done with the previous two, and from that alone I could sense Gale and Davey were pleased with her. The three rose into the sky, the girl with the Quaffle and Sonali blew the whistle, beginning the game. Number 17 immediately passed the Quaffle to Davey, which was a good start. A common error for newbies was to try and shoot yourself if you started with the ball, but that would mean holding possession for far too long. Quick passing meant the opposing team found it difficult to follow the ball and therefore it was harder for them to predict what your moves were. They moved seamlessly and as a perfect unit. Gale was already an excellent shooter near the hoops, so the fact she was better at defence worked in her favour. Her swift turns meant she easily avoided bludgers and her perception was of the highest standard, meaning she rarely missed a ball coming her way. She even got in a goal herself against Sonali towards the end- not an easy feat.

Time was up and the three candidates lined up in front of the current team. "You all played great and even though two of you won't be joining us, it shouldn't put you down. There'll be loads of opportunities to play Quidditch casually and I hope you guys will cheer the 'Claws on from the stands. Having checked with the team, we all agreed that one person fit best in the chaser unit and deserved the spot. Sally Davies, welcome to the Ravenclaw Quidditch team," announced Sonali, and none other than number 17 walked up to collect her jersey.

"Yes!" I yelled from the stands, earning curious looks from those on the pitch. My reaction was quickly dismissed as Sonali went to thank the other two hopefuls for coming. The Hackett twins gave a nod to Sally, who responded likewise, gaining their approval. She seemed quiet but was welcomed by Gale and Davey, eager to get to know their third piece. Sonali gave a quick glance up to me and I showed a thumbs up to which she grinned, knowing she had my backing too.

"Right, so let's talk schedules…" began Sonali, which was my cue to leave. The matches this year were going to be the best yet- I was certain of it. Ravenclaw was going to win the Quidditch trophy, hold the House cup and have the hall adorned in blue and gold for the end of the year. There was nothing like House pride in regards to lifting your spirits.

That night, Lysander and I conducted our first prefect round together, a week and a half into the year. The rounds began with 5th year pairings and rose up to 7th year in a spiral of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and repeat. It was fairly uninteresting. According to Lysander, kicking snogging couples out of broom cupboards was a usual occurrence and other than that, there was just a few people roaming the corridor who should have been in bed. Lysander let out a large yawn, rubbing his tired eyes as it hit 10:00.

"Why don't you head off to sleep? Patrols only last for another half an hour and I don't mind walking alone," I suggested. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy his company, but we were hardly talking because of his exhaustion and it gave me free will to explore the corridors how I pleased.

"You'd do that? Thanks Rose, I owe you," replied Lysander, gratefully. I tended to find people were always surprised when I did nice things because they expected me to be some sort of cruel know-it-all. I wasn't entirely selfless though- I'd probably take him up on that IOU at some point. I smiled at him and waved goodbye as he walked off into the distance, curious as to why he was so tired this early on in the year. I decided it was none of my business and continued down the corridors.

They were dimly lit and it grew increasingly dark as I moved towards the dungeons. Fumes wafted in the air, which I didn't ponder on as it was not uncommon for remnants from earlier classes to be drifting about, even this many hours on. I didn't often see the dungeons at this time of night as it was past curfew but they were just as captivating as in the day. I felt a warmth inside me, which I put to sentimentality about the location, but then smelt asphodels. I proceeded to smell the leather that bound new textbooks and… vanilla. I couldn't think of a potion that constituted of those ingredients and wasn't aware of a new shipment of books. Unless… thinking back to the beginning of sixth year, I had smelt these three things before. It was in our first potions lesson when we were learning about Amortentia. _Malfoy_.

The door to the classroom was slightly ajar, so I pushed it slightly in order to peek through without alerting him of my presence. As I predicted, he was standing there, stirring his cauldron, with various potions books in front of him. What on earth was he trying to achieve? You only needed one sixth year textbook for standard Amortentia, which meant he was experimenting. But what for? It was the strongest love-potion in the world so the idea of strengthening it was inconceivable.

I watched him take a deep breath in to inhale the fumes and he closed his eyes. He immediately looked peaceful, the wrinkles in his forehead smoothing out and the corners of his mouth turning up to form a smile. I wondered what the fumes smelt like to him.

"Lemon, broomstick polish and vanilla, Weasley," he stated, and I jumped in shock. What a _bastard_. He knew I was here and let me stand outside the door like a fool.

"You shouldn't be in here, it's past curfew," I blurted, trying but failing to shift the awkwardness from me to him.

"I never would have guessed," he gasped in mock-horror, his eyes opening sharply.

"What are you brewing, Malfoy?"

"If you aren't already aware of that, you aren't as talented a potioneer as I thought you were."

"I know it's Amortentia. But you're experimenting- trying to adapt it, otherwise you wouldn't have so many books out."

"Astute observation."

"Is one of those a dictionary? I didn't know you knew what astute even meant."

"Just because I'm a Gryffindor, doesn't mean I'm thick."

"True, which is why I'm worried. What in the world are you trying to concoct?" I was truly concerned. The boy had skills but there was no telling what his motives were and whether they would land him or the entire female population of Hogwarts in trouble.

"It's none of your business. But don't fret- I don't plan on using it on anyone in Hogwarts."

"Why brew it then?"

"Again, it's none of your business," muttered Scorpius, a little more impatiently this time. I understood his desire for privacy, but I was curious and my inner Ravenclaw was screaming at me to join the experiment.

"Fine, don't tell me why. At least tell me what you're trying to do? Maybe I could be of assistance," I suggested, to the surprise of Scorpius. He cocked an eyebrow at me but seemed to be considering it.

"Alright then, Weasley. Aim is to adapt the Amortentia potion. Currently it's about generating an infatuation, but I want to try and concoct a potion to enhance feelings already present. So let's say someone does love someone, but they don't have that person on the front of their mind therefore don't express it. I want to adapt the potion so the drinker is more expressive about their feelings." That was quite insane. To try and adapt a potion that much, especially in regards to something as complicated as love…

"Count me in," I confirmed. Nothing like a challenge to entice me into helping someone with a potion. "Ideas?" And with that, we began. This was different to the times we had previously worked together, primarily due to the lack of a class or Professor, but that only improved the atmosphere. We worked as a team, something I wasn't used to but enjoyed. We exchanged ideas, complimented and criticised when appropriate. We tried, failed and tried again, utilising many of the chemicals surrounding the room. We were progressing slowly, leafing through books to see what ingredients could have the desired effects. An hour passed, before Scorpius extinguished the fire of the cauldron.

"We know that we need to add ladybird wings now, but that's about it," sighed Scorpius.

"Perhaps it requires more time in the library? It would be much more efficient to research other potions with a similar effect and study the interactions of those components. That's how I did it with the Draught of Peace adaptation," I suggested. Scorpius nodded in agreement.

"That's fair," he muttered, closing up his books and vanishing the slightly redder potion.

"Can I help?" I exclaimed suddenly, causing Scorpius to snap his head up and me to go bright red. "I just… I thought we made a good team. For research purposes that is." Scorpius was silent and I was unsure of what he was going to reply with. Was he worried about spending time with me in public? He was incredibly well-liked and hanging out with me wasn't exactly going to _improve_ his reputation in a best-case scenario. I can imagine Albus wouldn't be happy either. But surely if it was just for potions experiments? I wasn't exactly asking him to Hogsmeade.

"Why don't we arrange when to meet next lesson? Let me know if you have any ongoing projects to so I can repay the favour."

"You know, I am a pure Ravenclaw. You're doing me a favour by giving me more potions to work on," I laughed and Scorpius let out a light chuckle.

"My pleasure, Rose," he replied casually, not really paying attention to me as he finished tidying up. I knew this because if he was paying attention to me, he would have seen my cheeks fill with colour upon him saying my name. _My pleasure, Rose._


	5. Going Pale White and an Overbite

The vastness of Hogwarts' library continued to surprise me. I often did any work in the Ravenclaw common room, supplied with its own large collection of books, but occasionally it was nice to explore the school's assortment. I brushed my fingers gently along the spines of a series of books about ancient magic. In the past, wizards and witches were much more powerful but as time passed, their powers faded. There had been no confirmation of whether this was due to the expansion of the magical community or was an evolutionary advantage. Those that proposed the latter theory believed that their magic was so strong it was difficult to control and those with stronger powers usually fell victim to their own magic, hence weaker powers were selected for within the wizarding population.

My fascination with the books was particularly due to the similarity between ancient magic and my own. One way my affliction interacted with my body was to enhance my magical strength- a much more dangerous thing than I initially assumed. In my fourth year, I attempted to perform a stunning spell in Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was a simple enough task, but as we were performing against a mannequin, Professor Thomas encouraged us to truly go for it. A successful spell would throw the mannequin backwards from its position. I remember the adrenaline rush through me and I was eager to prove myself, as this was the first time we were truly using an attack spell to its full potential. I breathed deeply and yelled out "Stupefy!" The mannequin exploded, its limbs teared from it and wooden chest splintered. The class stared at me and the Professor had looked at me, baffled. He had asked me to stay behind that day and I deflected all of his concerns until he gave up and let me be. The class then proceeded to stay relatively far from me for a month, whispers about me filling the corridor, but I knew then onwards that I had to restrain myself in DADA and never had a slip again. Eventually people dismissed it as one strange event, but it plagued my mind ever since and it had meant I was never particularly fond of the subject.

This area of the library was quiet and relatively untouched as it lied in the restricted section. The books contained some gruesome spells and concoctions so they lied here, but they were full of useful information. After much pleading, Professor Limpet agreed to give me a pass offering unlimited visits to the restricted section, primarily because many fascinating potions were in books alongside other more morbid ones, but also to research about the history of ancient magic, to hopefully understand myself more. If I was coming to the library alone, I would usually hide out in here to avoid the eyes of students and Madam Pince. The restricted section itself was so large that even if someone were to visit it, it was unlikely they would notice me.

I had a free and Sonali did not, therefore I was quite content to pick out Volume III in a collection about old magic and sit down cross-legged with my back along the bookshelves. I began to read a chapter explaining the differences between present-day magic and magic in the past, as well as theories on why it has changed. The detailed description of magic gone wrong with grisly consequences barely caused me to bat an eyelid at this point as I was fully aware of the gory details discussed in books of the restricted section. I was particularly pleased when it began discussing why some wizards of this generation would still have the powers of wizards of the past when I unintentionally leaned backwards and knocked over the unstable bookshelf. Luckily my reactions were quick and I halted the bookshelf with an impediment jinx. The books continued to fall, but it was less calamitous than it could have been, making a minimal racket so hopefully Madam Pince would not hear. I pulled back the shelf with another charm and the books flew back on without me waving my wand. I initially considered that I had used some obscure form of non-verbal magic, before I spotted the blonde mop of hair I had begun to recognise instantly.

"I heard something go on here, thought I'd come check it out," explained Scorpius.

"Thanks for your help," I replied, sincerely. My days would go by relatively uneventful, until Scorpius was in the vicinity and then everything seemed to take a turn. It had been over a week since I caught him during prefect rounds and Potions lessons had been fairly standard. We rarely talked in lessons, too keen on concocting our own potions to perfection. I assumed the dynamic would change when we began working on potions together later on in the year, but for now we performed solo.

I was surprised when he joined me on the floor, sitting beside me with his knees folded up to his chest.

"You know, we never did decide on that library day," he said, whipping a chocolate frog out of his pocket and tearing open the packet. I watched as it leapt out of the box but he caught it mid-air and bit a leg off, causing it to become stationary.

"Good reflexes," I mused. "And no, we did not. Would you like to research right now? Is that why you're here?"

"Nah, I'd be an idiot if I took Rose Weasley away from her book," he answered, signalling towards the book in my head. I laughed at the response and took that as my cue to continue reading. It wasn't hard for me to ignore Scorpius' presence as I read about the chemical properties of the DNA retrieved from older wizards in comparison to those of today and how it was changing with each generation. I chanced a quick glance at him and noticed he had begun to read Volume I of the same collection that I was reading. I was curious as to why he'd choose this topic over anything else, but resumed my own reading and was soon absorbed. We read for at least half an hour in pure silence apart from the sound of our own breaths.

I was calm and at peace, until slowly, the room began to fade into black. My breathing rate began to pick up as I felt my throat constrict. I was struggling to breath and I was scared. Scared of the black that was overtaking my mind. Scared of my own mind and its power. I wanted to run away but I couldn't run away from myself. I was shaking madly, curled up in a ball and rocking back and forth. I heard a faint voice calling out my name, clear enough for me to have a small moment of clarity.

"Blue vial," I mumbled faintly and began to reach out. I saw a vial held out for me, I looked at the face and jumped away from him. I was scared. Scared of him. Who was he? What if hurt me? The faint voice calling my name allowed me a temporary moment in reality. It was Scorpius. I could trust Scorpius. I snatched the vial quickly and poured it down my throat. I was still for a moment as the effects of the potion flooded through me, but then I felt the darkness clear and my anxiety fade. I was back. I made a mental note to notify Professor Limpet that the potion was successful and an improvement on its predecessor. I turned to return the vial to my bag, when I spotted Scorpius. He was staring at me, his expression showing a mixture of concern, fear and confusion. _Shit_.

"Are you okay?" he asked, softly, those same words causing my heart to clench. When I didn't reply, he continued. "What happened, Rose? And why did you drink the potion we made with Professor Limpet?" If I wasn't so worried about the situation I was in, I probably would have noticed that that was the second time he had called me Rose. "You don't have cat flu. What's going on?"

"Sorry, I have to go," I muttered, grabbing my bag in a hurry and rushing out the room before he could follow me. Well, this is just great.

Once I was certain I had made sufficient distance from Scorpius, I had returned to the Ravenclaw tower, ready to tell Sonali about the day's events. I was expecting her to be in the dorm, however as I walked up to the knocker, I saw her sitting on the floor with an impassive expression. A few fourth years answered the riddle to gain entrance to the common room and tears began spilling out of Sonali's eyes.

I sat beside her and pulled her into a hug, worried as to why someone who I knew to be so strong and independent was in such a state. "I'm so pathetic," she stated, attempting to wipe away the tears from her cheeks and compose herself. "Why the hell am I even in Ravenclaw? I don't bloody belong here, everyone knows that, the Sorting Hat just fucked up."

"What on earth? What happened, where is this coming from?" I questioned, shocked at the absurdity of her claims.

"I couldn't get in, Rose. I'm meant to be a seventh year and I can't even get into my own common room. I can't answer a damn riddle," sighed Sonali. She had pulled away from me, not a fan of physical comfort past the odd hug.

"It's okay, we all can't answer the riddle from time to time. You could have just slipped in after someone else," I replied.

"Rosie, you don't get it. I can never answer them. Not just that, but my grades are awful. I'll be lucky enough to pass all three of my NEWTs with 'Acceptable'. You guys, you all love learning. Sure, some do more work than others, but you all get good enough grades or you're all book nerds or something. I just don't understand why I was put here," she finished and I stared at her wide eyed. I had never known that Sonali had all these feelings bottled up inside her. I knew she wasn't doing great grades-wise but she always had such confidence in herself, I assumed she embraced all her qualities. I felt slightly ashamed of myself for not noticing earlier, but I had to try and make it better now.

"Well, I do. You're smart, and don't try to interrupt me with some petty argument about your grades. Maybe academics aren't your area of expertise and that's fair enough, but you not getting along with your subjects does not mean you are unintelligent. You have the most common sense out of anyone I've ever met and you consistently give me advice about how to go about things. You may not get Os, but you were made captain of the Quidditch team because you are absolutely brilliant at strategising and you can run a team. That requires an incredible amount of brain power. Just because you don't love learning about potions, doesn't mean you don't love learning in general. Think about all those Quidditch books you've read, all for the sake of learning more about the game. Or when you visit Hagrid and learn about some new magical beast! The Sorting Hat knew you were a Ravenclaw the moment the hat dropped on your head. Heck, it was quicker with you than me."

"Why did the hat take so long on you? I never asked," queried Sonali and I chuckled.

"You'll find it funny. It was actually confused whether to put me in Slytherin or Ravenclaw. It said I was intelligent so appropriate for Ravenclaw, but my thirst for knowledge collided with my ambition. It said I might do well in Slytherin- build up my cunning. Nonetheless, I insisted Ravenclaw because it had taken in my first proper friend and I didn't want to lose you."

"You chose Ravenclaw because of me?" she muttered and the surprise in her voice was audible.

"Of course I did, you numpty. You meant the world to me, right from that first day," I responded, confidently. She smiled warmly at me and I grinned at seeing her look relatively happy again. "Oh, and also because Slytherin most definitely sucks balls," I added and she laughed openly.

"True that. Let's get inside, I can tell you about how Becky Pollard got attacked by a Bowtruckle last period," she said, hopping up onto her feet. She grabbed my hands, heaving me up so I was standing too. Ah, the benefits of having an athletic friend.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, concerned. I hoped she wasn't putting it on.

"Genuinely, I'm okay. I'll let you know if I feel shit though," she replied and I nodded approvingly. She banged the knocker and it began its riddle.

"Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?"

"Oo, I've got this one! That's gotta be a coffin!" exclaimed Sonali, and the door proceeded to open. I grinned at her as she gleefully entered the common room and did a little jive to the bottom of the stairs.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" questioned Gale, from an armchair near us where he was sitting with his friends.

"I answered that fucking riddle! It can fucking suck it, that bloody gobshite of a knocker," declared Sonali, to mine and Gale's laughs. Some fourth years looked at her appalled, but she simply responded with a middle finger. Sonali's vocabulary when it came to profanity was quite extensive, something most of the common room was well aware of and accepted. They didn't care if she cursed the diadem off of Rowena's head, as long as she won Ravenclaw the Quidditch cup.

"Yes, mate, well done!" congratulated Gale, his voice full of sincerity. I noticed Sonali's expression fall slightly on Gale using the word 'mate' to address her, but she brushed it off and continued with her boogie. Sonali soon struck up conversation with the rest of his group and I quickly realised they would accept me as a friend of the Quidditch captain, so I joined in too. She started recounting the epic tale of the Bowtruckle biting Becky's ankle to the whole Ravenclaw common room. The room was soon in fits of hysterics, hearing about the Gryffindor's melodramatic limp to the hospital wing. Who said Ravenclaws couldn't have a laugh?

I spent that day and the next successfully avoiding any possible encounters with Scorpius. It wasn't too difficult as the only place we both visited at the same time was the Great Hall for meals and the hall was crowded enough for me to evade him and his potential questions. The issue came the day after, when I had Potions. I had contemplated skipping the lesson, which considering my 100% attendance and adoration of Potions, showed how much I was dreading an encounter with him.

"Don't make me go," I whined, as Sonali tugged me along the corridor. I had filled her in on the situation soon after we got up to our dorms and after joining me in a temporary freak out, she told me I just had to 'play it cool'.

"Man up, Weasley. Pull yourself together," she ordered. "Though I have to admit, it's a refreshing change to see you complaining about Potions."

"I'm not complaining about Potions," I denied, immediately. "I'm complaining about having to see _him_. What if asks me questions? He can't find out, Sonali!" I was panicking until Sonali slapped me on the arm. "Ouch, that was unnecessary."

"You're becoming Hugo by the minute," she joked and I scowled at her, still rubbing my arm. "Honestly, I know you're scared, but it will be fine. You said you guys don't even talk much in Potions anyways- just focus on the Potion. If he asks you loads of things, just ignore him until he gives up." I breathed deep. I had a plan- it would be fine. I gave her a quick hug, before hurriedly entering the room and sitting in my seat. I could make out Scorpius in the corner of my eye, but my head was firmly faced towards the front. I saw his mouth open and braced myself for the questions. My teeth were firmly clenched together.

"Hey," he greeted. Wait, what?

"Erm, hi," I replied, lamely. Millions of thoughts were shooting across my mind. Just, hi? That's it? I chanced a quick glance at him, but he was occupied reading his Potions textbook. "Er… so," I continued, pathetically trying to break the uncomfortable silence between us. Scorpius sighed deeply, slamming his book shit and pushed his fingers through his hair. He leant back in his chair, so it was balanced on its back two legs. "A chair is meant for four legs, not two," I chastised, impulsively. I promptly regretted my words when he cocked an eyebrow at me, but he brought back his chair onto its four legs nonetheless.

"I really want to ask you about what happened. I want to know so bad. And you know, true to my Gryffie nature, I will _definitely_ find out. But I also know you're pretty stubborn for a 'Claw and you won't tell me- you'll just ignore me. And that sounds like I lose both ways, so I'd rather just move past it and you actually talk to me," finished Scorpius and he looked directly at me, awaiting my response.

"We'll talk, I like that plan," I replied, smiling at him. He grinned back at me. For the first time, I noticed he had a slight overbite and I chuckled.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Your overbite," I replied, and he immediately stopped smiling. "No, no- it isn't bad, I think it quite suits you actually, you have nice teeth," I complimented hastily and he smirked at how flustered I was. "I laughed because my mum had an overbite exactly like that till her fourth year, at least it looked the same in photos."

"Why doesn't she anymore?"

"A jinx caused her teeth to grow below her chin and when she went to get it sorted, Madame Pomfrey made them a perfect set."

"I've considered getting it sorted, just never bothered- maybe I should."

"No," I immediately replied. "I mean, I think it suits you. If it's not causing you any problems- you shouldn't do it for aesthetic reasons, that's what I'm trying to say. You look good with it, it makes you look more like yourself," I justified and blushed when Scorpius smirked further.

"You think I look good, Weasley?"

"That's what you got out of that," I scoffed, but didn't deny it and Scorpius picked up on it. I'd be an idiot to say Scorpius wasn't attractive- it was clear he was. He had messy bleach blonde hair and piercing steel grey eyes, with a sharp jaw line to compliment the aura of rugged masculinity he gave off. He was tall, just over 6 foot, but had a reasonably stocky build due to years of training as a Beater. His muscles filled out his shirt and in standard Gryffindor fashion, a few of his top buttons were undone and his sleeves rolled up, giving an impression of nonchalance.

"Weasley, stop admiring my body, I'm a taken man," he joked, and I chuckled before realising what he said. _I'm a taken man_. Of course he was. Why was I so surprised? Scorpius was bound to get a girlfriend soon enough into this year. He hadn't been in a relationship since fifth year, at least not one that Hogwarts gossip was aware of, so it was only a matter of time.

"Oh, who?" I queried, plastering a fake smile onto my face and acting enthusiastic. I knew it shouldn't bother me. Scorpius and I were barely acquaintances, we had just spoken a little this year and that too only for Potions purposes.

"Daniella Jackson. I'm surprised you didn't already know from all the gossip going around," he chuckled and I forced a laugh. I wish I could say Daniella was some awful bitch, but alas, she was incredibly kind. She had never been anything but sweet to me and was loved by the majority as a popular Hufflepuff. She had thick, curly locks, which were pitch black and framed her face beautifully. Tall and slim, with a dark brown complexion, she was an object of desire for many and the _perfect_ girlfriend for one _perfect_ Scorpius Malfoy. I cringed at my reflection in the cauldron. My hair was an unfortunate combination of my father's bright red and my mother's frizz, and my pale skin, whilst mostly clear of spots, held little to be desired. I wasn't unattractive per say but I wasn't a stunner like Daniella.

I was distracted from my musings by Professor Limpet beginning the lesson and that's when my confidence came back to me. I reminded myself it was okay that I wasn't a stunner, because I had something Daniella didn't- my academic potential. My brain. My intelligence was my best trait and that was something that had always mattered a lot more to me than my appearances. It may be a little different to the usual brain, considering it was constantly degenerating, but my continuous learning meant I was building it up at the same time. Having gorgeous long legs wouldn't cure me of my illness, but my intelligence could. I smiled to myself as I scribbled down notes on what the Professor said and peeked at Scorpius. His overbite was particularly obvious as he grit his teeth. Even Scorpius Malfoy wasn't perfect, no matter how much he seemed it sometimes.

Lysander and I were in the final half an hour of our second prefect round. It had been average once again, but we had made more chatter than usual and it was quite enjoyable. We had discussed topics ranging from Potions to favourite dinners, and we had talked about our plans for after Hogwarts.

"You seemed less tired today, I'm glad," I commented and he smiled weakly.

"Yeah, a lot was going on… I've kind of sorted it now," he replied, sheepishly.

"Was everything okay? Do you want to talk about it?" I questioned.

"It's not a great thing to be honest, you'd probably judge me for it and I don't know whether I want that," he answered.

"Scamander, half of the school thinks there's something wrong with my mental state." Because there is. "I'm not in a position to judge you for anything, and I wouldn't. Why don't we sit there?" I suggested, pointing to a bench nearby. My curiosity extended to me being nosy, especially about issues such as these. I knew my motivation to talk to him should have been purely out of good heart, but it wasn't. He shuffled his feet nervously as I waited for him to begin.

"I did a pretty crap thing. You know Becky Pollard? Well, I don't know if you know, but she's dating Jeff Goldstein," he began. I racked my brains and vaguely recalled Jeff was in our year, a Hufflepuff who I had barely spoken to in my years at Hogwarts. "One day, I was helping Becky with some Charms homework in the Library. It was all fine, but then she leans over and _kisses_ me. I wasn't really sure what to do, so- and I know it's terrible- I just went with it. Suddenly we were meeting in broom cupboards and empty classrooms at midnight- that's why I was so tired. It was driving me mad. I knew I was doing an awful thing and I hated myself for it, but every time she told me to come somewhere I couldn't say no. I'm not great with girls and didn't want a relationship and here was this girl who just wanted to have sex with me. I know it's shallow and a shitty thing of me to do and yesterday it got to the point where I couldn't do it anymore. I went up to her and told her we were done," he finished and gulped. He was looking at the floor- I assume not wanting to see my reaction- but I wasn't appalled or anything.

"Look, you're right, it isn't something to be proud of, but you stopped, didn't you? You stopped it and that was the right thing to do. She should be more ashamed- she's the one in the committed relationship. Everyone makes mistakes, but you have to move on from it," I suggested, and he nodded.

"You don't think I'm a bad person?"

"A bad person wouldn't have stopped it. You're a good person who made a mistake, but you rectified it. Now it's for Jeff to decide whether he wants to stay with her."

"Should I tell him?"

"Give it a few days. If she still hasn't told him, I would. He would want you to," I reasoned.

"Thank you," he said, wrapping me in a hug. I was initially a little shocked, but hugged him back. Lysander was fairly handsome, with a lanky and mostly toned build. He had a crooked nose and his broken glasses were taped together, but he still attractive, even if in an unorthodox fashion. As he pulled away from the hug, his hand lingered on my arm and his eyes ran up from my arm to my face. "I never noticed how pretty you were," he muttered, his blue eyes looking directly into mine.

"Oh… er, thanks," I responded, as he lifted his hand to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. I was perfectly aware that he had learnt all these moves in order to impress Becky as opposed to myself, but part of me still enjoyed it. He leant in closer, till I could feel his breath on my neck.

"Can I kiss you?" he whispered. I knew I was a rebound from Becky, but I was reluctant to say no to some action, especially after learning about Scorpius and Daniella earlier that day. He placed a gentle kiss on my collarbone, causing me to shiver and that was all the confirmation I required. I nodded and his lips crashed onto mine. His left arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, whilst his left hand cupped the back of my neck. I lifted my leg around him so I was straddling him, as he trailed kisses down my jaw. I clung onto the back of his neck, grabbing his hair with my hands and he lifted me up and pressed me against the wall of a nearby broom cupboard. I whipped out my wand to lock the door, and Lysander looked at me once more to make sure he had my consent. Upon my nod, Lysander hastily pulled open my shirt and slid down my skirt. Oh, it had been _way_ too long.


End file.
